Do Rabbits Eat Rose Petals?

by Suzanne S. Wiley

Rabbits often eat leaves on the lower portions of rose bushes.

Roses (Rosa spp.) are hardy in any U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zone, but their ability to withstand different low temperatures mean nothing when faced with a hungry rabbit. These are practical animals that will eat first what they can reach, meaning that your rose bushes are more likely to suffer leaf loss and damaged canes or stems if attacked by rabbits. The blossoms are usually up higher on the plant, often out of a rabbit’s reach, but that does not mean the petals will never be eaten.

Canes, Bark and Leaves

Rabbits tend to gravitate toward plants belonging to the rose family, including roses themselves and fruits like berries and cherries. However, rabbits usually eat bark off trees and the lower leaves and canes on shrubs like roses. If the flowers themselves are up high, such as on an older bush that is more than a couple of feet tall, you’ll probably see damage only to the parts of the canes and leaves that the rabbit can reach. That being said, the University of Illinois Extension warns that if desperate for food, the rabbits will eat whatever they can find -- and that implies that rose petals would be fair game, too.

Lenten Rose

One “rose” you might have heard of is the Lenten rose (Helleborus x hybridus; USDA zones 4 through 9), which the Clemson Cooperative Extension calls naturally rabbit-repellent. However, this is not an actual rose as the genus name indicates. Lenten roses bloom profusely with large, drooping colored sepals that are mistaken for the actual petals of the flowers. The sepals come in white, light purple and dark purple forms that fade after a couple of months. Even though they are not roses in the usual sense of the name, they might be a suitable addition to a garden prone to rabbit invasions.

Wild Roses

Wild roses are major food sources for wild rabbits. These tend to grow in thickets or, in some cases, in roadside plantings. If you live near a wooded area, check around for wild roses that might be attracting rabbits to the area. While the roses could divert rabbits from your garden in some cases, they could also be close enough to your yard that the rabbits naturally move over and start eating your plants. You might not be able to remove the wild roses, but if you suspect rabbits have been getting into your garden after dining on the wild roses, you have to take steps to exclude the animals from your yard.

Exclusion

Exclusion is really the only effective way to stop rabbits from lunching on your rose bushes. Iowa State University recommends fencing off the rose bushes and any other plants you want to protect with hardware cloth or chicken wire. Whichever material you use, it should be at least 2 to 3 feet high, and about 3 inches of the material should be buried in the ground to prevent the rabbits from digging underneath the fence.

About the Author

Suzanne S. Wiley is an editor and writer in Southern California. She has been editing since 1989 and began writing in 2009. Wiley received her master's degree from the University of Texas and her work appears on various websites.

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